Feeling the Pain
by Honour Nature
Summary: (Ch. 1 is up!)When Ashley's father is in an accident, how will she keep going, and what will happen to her father? How do Andros and Zhane help her through it?


Feeling the Pain  
  
Chapter 1: The Shock  
  
Ashley smiled, and waved at the people calling "Hi." to her as she made her way to class. She brightened even more when she saw Cassie at the door of their History class.  
  
"Hey girl, how'd the date with Phantom go last night?" she asked slyly, a teasing smirk on her face.  
  
Cassie laughed, "Yeah, it went...," she paused, "Well, it went really well."  
  
Her eyes full of mischief, Ashley replied, "Oh really? What exactly happened?"  
  
They made their way to their desks, laughing at each other. The teacher cleared her throat, and class began. Halfway through, the intercom bleeped, and the vice principle's voice entered the classroom. "Will Ashley Hammond please report to my office?" When the teacher's answer was affirmative, Ashley stood, trading confused glaces with Cassie, and leaving her backpack and notebook behind.  
  
Tossing her hair out of her face, she made the short trip to the office. When she entered the doorway, she saw he was on the phone, his face in an expression of sympathy. He handed her the phone with, "It's your mother."  
  
"Hey Mom, what's going on? You don't usually call me at school," she stated, feeling nervous butterflies doing aerobatic maneuvers in her stomach. She leaned her hip against the desk.  
  
"Sweetheart," her mother started, her voice strangely hoarse, "Daddy was in an accident. He was hurt very badly. He's in ICU right now. You know where the hospital is?"  
  
"O-of course, Mama," Ashley was scared, and she felt tears gathering in her eyes. "I'll go there right now." At her mother's "I love you." she reciprocated, and hung up the phone.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ms. Hammond," the vice-principle said, his face and tone expressing his empathy for her plight.  
  
The yellow ranger felt numb, and made her way back to class to get her things. When she got there, Cassie took one look at her and, despite the teacher's glare, asked, "What happened, Ash? Is it Andros?"  
  
Ashley shook her head. "It's.... it's Daddy. H-he was in a-an accident," her voice trembled, and she fought for composure. While she would let go in front of some people, that didn't mean the entire class. "I'm heading for the hospital." She looked at her teacher. "I have permission," she said, and showed her the slip. Gathering her things, she dug out her car keys, and when reaching her car, she started sobbing. She teleported to her room on the Megaship first.  
  
"No no no no no no no no," she whispered inbetween her sobs. Her whole body was convulsed with her grief and fear as she lay on the floor. She started when two arms enveloped her.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, and she realized that Andros had entered the room and she hadn't even noticed.  
  
Clutching his jacket and burying her head in his shirt, he heard her mumble, "Daddy, it was Daddy. He got hurt, and they don't know if he's gonna make it."  
  
Andros was silent from then on, as he lent her support through his actions. They had only recently admitted their feelings for each other. 'Well,' he thought reluctantly, 'she admitted it first, it just took me a little longer.'  
  
He held her, and they lay there for a few minutes. Ashley wiped her splotchy cheeks with her hands, and leaned away from him. "I have to go to Angel Grove Hospital. He's in ICU. My mother needs me." Andros just nodded, and brushed her cheek softly with his fingers.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Ashley told DECA where to teleport her, and prepared for what would happen next. ___________________________________________________________________________ A/N: Okey-dokey, that's it for this chapter. I know what it's like to have my Daddy and my Mommy in ICU, and in critical condition, and how helpless I felt. I hope this touches you. Just so you know, this will probably be an Ashley/Andros/Zhane fic. I'm really really into that ship, so I wanted to inform you. Ja ne, Chero 


End file.
